Leonard Rotherham
Encyclopedia
Leonard "Larry" Rotherham CBE FRS was a British metallurgist and vice chancellor of the University of Bath
. He led the team which investigated the de Havilland Comet
airliner crashes caused by metal fatigue around the windows.
He was educated at Herbert Strutt School, Belper
and University College London
. He worked as a physicist at Brown Firth Research Laboratories on high melting point alloys. from 1935 until 1946 when he was appointed at head of the Metallurgy Department at the RAE Farnborough. He remained there until 1954 when he was appointed director of Research and Development of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
's Industrial Group based at Risley. He became the member for Research on the CEGB in 1958, a role he remained in until 1969 when he was appointed vice chancellor of the University of Bath until his retirement in 1976. Following his retirement he became a governor of Imperial College, London and a director of Chemring plc
.
He was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1963 and awarded the CBE in 1970. He married Nora Thompson in 1937 (and who died in 1991) and they had one son and two daughters.
University of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
. He led the team which investigated the de Havilland Comet
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
airliner crashes caused by metal fatigue around the windows.
He was educated at Herbert Strutt School, Belper
Belper
Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England.-Geography:Belper is situated eight miles north of Derby and is centred in the valley of the River Derwent...
and University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. He worked as a physicist at Brown Firth Research Laboratories on high melting point alloys. from 1935 until 1946 when he was appointed at head of the Metallurgy Department at the RAE Farnborough. He remained there until 1954 when he was appointed director of Research and Development of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of nuclear fusion power. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and was formerly chaired by Lady Barbara Judge CBE...
's Industrial Group based at Risley. He became the member for Research on the CEGB in 1958, a role he remained in until 1969 when he was appointed vice chancellor of the University of Bath until his retirement in 1976. Following his retirement he became a governor of Imperial College, London and a director of Chemring plc
Chemring Group
Chemring Group is a leading British-based producer of countermeasures for protecting air, sea and land-based platforms from threats. It is headquartered in Fareham and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
.
He was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1963 and awarded the CBE in 1970. He married Nora Thompson in 1937 (and who died in 1991) and they had one son and two daughters.